Hi, all, and happy Wednesday.
I’m back in Los Angeles after a long travel day yesterday.
One good thing came out of our (very delayed) flight: I got to watch three movies. The first one was a game-changer that left me in tears. It’s called “When in Doubt, Do Something,” a documentary about my uncle, Harry Chapin.
My mom started dating Harry’s brother Tom when I was 4—they got married when I was 8—so Harry was my uncle for as long as I could remember. He died when I was thirteen, though, so there were details of his life and activism I was unaware of until watching this wonderful film. Like the Congressional Medal of Honor he won posthumously for his work tackling the problem of hunger in America. Or the Presidential Commission on hunger he fought to have launched, and was then appointed to. Or his friendship with Senator Patrick Leahy.
Or his motto: “When in doubt, do something.”
Harry learned about the problem of hunger in America, concluded it was unacceptable, and decided to do something about it. His efforts were relentless, constant, and inspiring. They were also shockingly successful. Harry didn’t solve hunger by any stretch of the imagination, but he helped focus resources on it in a new and powerful way.
The world was never the same. And there’s so much to learn from that.
I urge you to check out the movie, which you can watch at the link above.
And I urge us all to adopt Harry’s credo. Of course we’re in doubt. Life is scary as heck. But instead of becoming paralyzed, let’s do something. Anything.
How about starting with these calls?
Call Your Senators (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.
I’m calling to say that I want Congress to pass an effective American Jobs and Families Plan—one that goes big and really takes on the multiple crises we’re facing. It has to address the climate emergency in a big way, move us towards healthcare for all, fund affordable housing, quality education, family support, and taxation justice. And it has to be paid for by restoring the taxes that Trump cut for the obscenely wealthy and giant transnational corporations. [H/T]
[If Dem] Also we need to abolish the filibuster and pass the For the People Act and all of the other critical legislation that House Democrats have passed. Stop trying to work with Republicans. They’re traitorous thugs. Thanks.
Call Your House Rep (find yours here)
Hi, I'm a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.
I’m calling to say that I want Congress to pass an effective American Jobs and Families Plan—one that goes big and really takes on the multiple crises we’re facing. It has to address the climate emergency in a big way, move us towards healthcare for all, fund affordable housing, quality education, family support, and taxation justice. And it has to be paid for by restoring the taxes that Trump cut for the obscenely wealthy and giant transnational corporations. [H/T]
Extra Credit!
Let’s send this to President Biden—ideally slightly modified so it doesn’t get rejected. You can use Resistbot or e-mail it to him via his web form. [H/T]
I am writing today to urge you to create a dedicated White House Task Force on Black immigrants.
Black immigrants in the US face the duplicative experience and harms of being targeted for their race and immigration status. While anti-Black immigrant policies far predate 2017, the Trump administration prioritized the targeting of Black immigrants in policy, enforcement, and rhetoric. This included mass incarceration in detention centers and mass deportation, categorical bans of African countries, termination of TPS and Deferred Enforced Departure, destroying the U.S. refugee admissions program and asylum system, attacks on the diversity visa program, and more.
The consequences of these racism-fueled policies include the separation and destabilization of Black families, Black immigrants returned to countries where their lives and freedom are at risk, human rights violations and violence towards Black immigrants, and psychological scars. For immigrants in the U.S. interior, these attacks were and are compounded by general, widespread systemic anti-Black racism in America and police brutality.
In order to meaningfully address systemic racism in America as you have promised to do, anti-Black racism in U.S. immigration must be confronted head on and dismantled. A Task Force with dedicated resources would be a key first step. Thanks.
Let’s Stop the Recall!
The Newsom recall attempt should concern us all. Not only is it funded by anti-vaxxers and extremists, but if it succeeds—and should something happen to Dianne Feinstein, who is 88 and reportedly suffering from dementia—we face the very real danger of having a GOP Senator appointed in CA and losing our slim majority in the Senate.
The good news is it is stoppable, and you can help stop it. Here are 3 ways:
Write Postcards to Stop the Recall with the Grassroots Democrats HQ and Women’s March Action. Sign up and request addresses and scripts here or here.
Phone bank with the California Democratic Party to tell voters to vote NO on the recall of Governor Newsom. Training provided. Saturday, July 24th, 12:00 PST. Sign up here. (I’ll be there!)
Text to Stop the Recall of Governor Newsom. Sign up here.
Resistbot Text (new to Resistbot? Go here!)
[to your Senators] [H/T]
Hi, I’m writing because I’m part of the bipartisan majority of Americans who believe that citizens who have served their full sentences should have the right to vote.
The Democracy Restoration Act would establish a uniform standard for allowing those with criminal convictions to vote, and is endorsed by civil rights and criminal justice reform groups. Can I count on you to cosponsor and vote for S. 481? I’d like a response in writing, please.
Thank you.
Your small actions are saving democracy! THANK YOU! You’re amazing.
Talk tomorrow.
Jess
Taxi was my anthem all during college. Luckily it didn’t turn out that way… your uncle was an uncle to millions of us, reliable and true. He is sorely missed. 💔